As a guide, I want to show you the teachings that are suitable for escape, not for holding on. Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha, proclaimed a teaching in India over 2500 years ago that is now one of the world religions. Buddha, "the Awakened One," embodies above all else: wisdom, compassion, and deep insight into the fundamental connections of human life. Ursula Gräfe, born in 1956, is a Japanologist and has been working as a literary translator since 1988, translating works by R. K. Narayan, Haruki Murakami, and Kenzaburo Oe, among others. She often spends extended periods in Asia, particularly in India. Ursula Gräfe lives and writes in Frankfurt am Main.